Friday, October 28, 2016

Local Partnerships and Focused Communication Will Help Drive Enrollment

Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced 15 target markets for this year’s Open Enrollment. As in previous years, the target markets will be a particular focus for outreach, travel, and collaborations with local partners, also in addition to other nationwide efforts to step up outreach.

“We look forward to engaging Americans all across the country in Open Enrollment beginning November 1, but we are especially excited for a major outreach push in these 15 terrific markets where we’ve seen success in the past and where the potential for enrollment growth remains high,” said Kevin Counihan, CEO of the Marketplace. “Local partnerships and focused communications will ensure that residents of these metro areas know that affordable coverage is available and that we’re here to help them enroll.”

The top 15 target markets for Open Enrollment this year are: Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL; Dallas-Fort Worth, TX; Atlanta, GA; Houston, TX; Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL: Orlando-Daytona-Melbourne, FL; Northern New Jersey; Chicago, IL; Philadelphia, PA; Charlotte, NC; Detroit, MI; Salt Lake City, UT; Phoenix, AZ; St. Louis, MO; and San Antonio, TX. These markets were selected based on three criteria: (1) they present strong opportunities for meaningful enrollment increases; (2) high percentage of eligible uninsured; and (3) Open Enrollment has been successful in these metro areas in the past.

Market

Open Enrollment 3

Plan Selections

Miami, FL

643,911

Dallas, TX

382,669

Atlanta, GA

443,720

Houston, TX

346,822

Tampa, FL

284,753

Orlando, FL

329,684

Northern New Jersey

228,538

Chicago, IL

310,523

Philadelphia, PA

291,175

Charlotte, NC

208,622

Detroit, MI

180,516

Salt Lake City, UT

176,096

Phoenix, AZ

144,196

St Louis, MO

134,934

San Antonio, TX

120,351

TOTAL

4,226,510

We expect those numbers to grow this year, since these markets together still include more than 3 million Marketplace-eligible uninsured Americans.

While the uninsured rate has fallen to the lowest level on record, there are still too many Americans who remain uninsured and experience health and financial hardships resulting from lack of coverage. And, experts continue to find that nearly half of uninsured adults are unaware of the financial assistance available to help pay for health insurance. About 85 percent of Marketplace-eligible uninsured Americans could qualify for financial help. To get the word out, focused outreach in the top 15 target markets will heighten awareness of coverage options in these key metro areas and complement nationwide outreach efforts.

No one has more influence and understanding of their community than local organizations. We will be working with groups on the ground to get the word out about affordable coverage and helping people to enroll. On top of that, our outreach efforts in these markets will benefit from more travel, more advertising, and more earned media.

By: Edwin Walker, Acting Administrator - Administration for Community Living

During National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), we celebrate the contributions of workers with disabilities and the value of a workforce that includes their skills and talents.

Inclusive workplaces -- where people with diverse talents, experiences, and abilities work side-by-side -- benefit employees and employers alike. For example, a retail distribution center in South Carolina developed around principles of accessibility and inclusion quickly became one of the company’s most efficient centers. And there are thousands of people like Eric and William, who are thriving in integrated jobs they love.

This year, the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) chose #InclusionWorks as the theme for NDEAM. As the stories above and countless others illustrate, inclusion does work.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Who’s Leading the Leading Health Indicators? Webinar: Environmental Quality

Tell your colleagues and friends about this great learning opportunity. Forward this email or tweet about the webinar.

Join us on Thursday, November 17 at 12:00 p.m. ET to learn how the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Air Quality Program is working to improve air quality in New York City by monitoring the impact of pollutants.

The environment directly affects a person’s health status and plays a major role in quality of life, years of healthy life lived, and overall health disparities. Poor air quality is linked to premature death, cancer, and long-term damage to respiratory and cardiovascular systems. An environment free of hazards—including secondhand smoke, carbon monoxide, allergens, lead, and toxic chemicals—helps prevent disease and other health problems. Decreasing air pollution is an important step in creating a healthy environment.

About Healthy People 2020 Leading Health Indicators

The Leading Health Indicators (LHIs) represent a smaller set of Healthy People 2020 objectives selected to communicate high-priority health issues and actions to help address them. LHIs are used to assess the health of the Nation, facilitate collaboration across sectors, and motivate action to improve the health of the U.S. population.

According to a new Vital Signs report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dental sealants prevent 80% of cavities in the back teeth for school-age children, where 9 in 10 cavities occur. Yet about 60% of children ages 6-11 years don’t get dental sealants.

Dental sealants are a thin coating painted on teeth to protect them from cavities. They are painlessly applied by dental professionals in dental offices or using portable dental equipment in community settings such as schools.

•A minimum of an Associate’s degree is required; however a Bachelors or Masters in Early Childhood Education or related field is preferred.

•Preference will be given to applicants who have extensive knowledge of child development ages birth to twelve and also applicants with strong writing skills and presentation skills.

The Program Specialist will oversee and manage Utah's professional development and training system for early care and youth providers. The Program Specialist must have good writing and presentation skills, extensive knowledge of children's development birth-12, and the early childhood system as a whole, including private child care. Additionally, the successful candidate will understand adult learning styles and have the ability to write or adapt curriculum to meet the needs of Utah's diverse provider population.

The Program Specialist will work with six Care About Child Care Agencies (CAC) and the Child Care Professional Development Institute (CCPDI) to assure consistency, excellence, and integrity within the training system, including the evaluation of instructors and training content. Lastly, the successful candidate will monitor DWS contracts pertaining to professional development in Utah.

In order to be considered for an interview for this position, you will need to apply on-line at https://statejobs.utah.gov. If you have not done so already, you will need to create a job seeker account.

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Even people who read well and are comfortable using numbers can face health literacy issues when they aren’t familiar with medical terms or how their bodies work, when they have to interpret statistics and evaluate risks and benefits that affect their health and safety, or when they are voting on an issue affecting the community’s health and relying on unfamiliar technical information.Trainings in health literacy, plain language, and culture and communication are essential for anyone working in health information and services. To make information more accessible and understandable to your audiences—and to celebrate October as Health Literacy Month—consider taking online CDC trainings. (Continuing education credits and certificates are available.)Choose from Five Different TrainingsWhether you are new to these topics, need a refresher, or want to train your entire staff, these courses are a good place to start:

Thursday, October 13, 2016

A Model for Bridging Clinical Services and Community PreventionRSVP Today!Tuesday, October 25 12:30 pm MDT

Efforts to transform the health care system are increasingly moving beyond clinical walls to address the social determinants of health and advance health equity. The Community-Centered Health Home (CCHH) model, developed by Prevention Institute, is emerging as a powerful framework for health care institutions to integrate community prevention and clinical services to improve population health and reduce health inequities. The defining attribute of the CCHH is involvement in community advocacy and systems change—a CCHH not only acknowledges that factors outside the health care system affect patient health outcomes, but actively participates in improving them. The success of this model is predicated on identifying the root causes of disease that are perpetuating poor outcomes within a community, involving relevant partners to participate in analysis and lead action, and engaging community members.Please join us for our upcoming Dialogue4Health Web Forum, which will provide an overview of the CCHH model and how it offers a framework for community health centers and health systems at large to address the social determinants of health and health inequities in their communities in partnership with public health and community-based groups. Speakers will describe progress to date of the first CCHH demonstration project in partnership with Louisiana Public Health Institute across the Gulf Coast; and highlight specific lessons learned on moving from concept to implementation at one of five participating sites, Escambia Community Clinics, Inc.We encourage participation in this Web Forum for those in community health centers, health systems, and public health departments interested in bridging clinical care and community prevention to address social determinants of health and advance health equity.

Just in time for National Latinx HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (Oct. 15), Greater Than AIDS is pleased to share a powerful new mini-docu series, Somos Familia / We Are Family, featuring Latino families facing HIV together.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than half of Hispanics/Latinos living with HIV in the U.S. are not engaged in care. The stigma associated with HIV keeps many from seeking prevention and treatment services.

Through the personal stories of families with loved ones living with HIV, the short-form videos reinforce the important role of social support for people living with HIV. A mother and son, a father and daughter, and two pairs of siblings, share challenging moments of diagnosis, disclosure, and, ultimately, triumph.

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

March of Dimes has released their 2017 Community Grants RFP. This funding is designed to invest in priority projects that further the March of Dimes mission, support campaign objectives, and further the strategic goal of promoting equity in birth outcomes.

Friday, October 7, 2016

Well dress in solidarity with those who have been touched by breast cancer to raise awareness about, and celebrate our work towards a healthier and more engaged community!Join us to:Learn more about Comunidades Unidas / Communities United's work in Utah.Unite in the fight against health disparities.Raise essential funds for our Community Well-Being and Community Engagement Programs so that we can continue to empower Latinos/as to take charge of their lives.The Pink Dress Breakfast is scheduled for October 21. Networking will begin at 7:30 a.m. and the program will start at 8:00 am.The event will be held at the Memorial House in Memory Grove Park. If you have questions or would like more information regarding The Pink Dress Breakfast, please contact Comunidades Unidas staff at pinkdress@cuutah.org or (801) 487-4143

For the first time, the newest edition of Measures of Child Well-Being in Utah by Voices for Utah Children includes data by race and ethnicity. The data show that the Utah child population is growing and diversifying.

The child population grew by about 45,000 additional children (2006-2013 average versus 2010-2014 average).The Utah child population is more diverse than Utah’s adult population. In 2015, 1 of every 4 Utah children was a child of color.Minority populations continue to grow in Utah. It is projected that about half of Utah children will be children of color by 2050.Measures of Child Well-Being in Utah reports concerning changes in child death rates but continued improvement in the teen birth rate.There was a steep rise in youth suicide in Utah. Between 2013 and 2014, the suicide rate among Utah 10-19-year-olds jumped from 9.4/100,000 to 12.6/100,000.After a few years of steady decline, injury deaths are on the rise again, from 12.2/100,000 Utah children ages 0-19 in 2013 to 15.4/100,000 in 2014.The teen birth rate continues to decline, from 8.6 births per 1,000 Utah females ages 15-17 in 2009-2013 to 7.9 in 2010-2014.Read entire article. Data for the report were collected as part of the KIDS COUNT® project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Intergenerational Poverty Report 2016Since its passage in 2012, the ntergenerational Poverty Mitigation Act (IGPA) elevated Utah as a national leader in efforts to end the cycle of poverty for families by focusing on the well-being of children. This attention has not been achieved through the establishment of expensive new programs. Rather, the Act requires Utah to utilize research and implement data-driven policies to inform its decision making, ensuring families striving forbetter opportunities for themselves and their children realize their potential.Through the past four years, political and public will has grown to address this issue, increasing opportunities for Utah children and supporting their path toward self-reliance into adulthood. These expanded opportunities ultimately reduce the need for costly public assistance programs and arm children with the tools necessary to achieve their dreams. Utah has seized the moment to focus on these families.Read entire report here.